China: Rare Sun Halo Dazzles Residents in Hunan

On May 10, 2026, residents in Changsha, Hunan, China, were treated to a rare sun halo — a colorful ring of light encircling the sun — caused by sunlight refracting through ice crystals in cirrostratus clouds above the city.

China: Guangdong Night Sky Glows in Shade of Purple

On March 31, 2026, in Guangdong, a video captured a breathtaking scene where the night sky suddenly turned a vivid shade of purple.

China: Rare Sun Halo Appears Over Ningbo Amid Heatwave

On July 1, 2025, a rare sun halo appeared over Ningbo, Zhejiang, drawing the attention of passersby who stopped to watch. The phenomenon, caused by sunlight passing through ice crystals, occurred amid a heatwave with temperatures nearing 40 °C.

China: Stunning Ice Halo Spotted In Kunming, Yunnan

A stunning ice halo was spotting in Kunming, Yunnan on May 21. According to Li Xiaopeng, an expert from the Kunming Meteorological Observatory, the formation principle of an ice halo is similar to that of a rainbow. Because high-altitude clouds are relatively thin, their interiors consist of ice crystals. When sunlight shines onto these high-altitude clouds, it undergoes refraction and reflection, resulting in the formation of this colorful circular halo.

View Of Comet Helps Solve Mystery Of Earth's Abundant Water

View Of Comet Helps Solve Mystery Of Earth's Abundant Water

Handout - This artist’s concept of Comet 238P/Read shows the main belt comet sublimating—its water ice vaporising as its orbit approaches the Sun. This is significant, as the sublimation is what distinguishes comets from asteroids, creating their distinctive tail and hazy halo, or coma. The James Webb Space Telescope’s detection of water vapor at Comet Read is a major benchmark in the study of main belt comets, and in the broader investigation of the origin of Earth’s abundant water. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has enabled another long-sought scientific breakthrough, this time for solar system scientists studying the origins of Earth's abundant water. Using Webb's NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument, astronomers have confirmed gas – specifically water vapor – around a comet in the main asteroid belt for the first time, indicating that water ice from the primordial solar system can be preserved in that region. Comet Read is a main belt comet – an object that resides in the main asteroid belt

View Of Comet Helps Solve Mystery Of Earth's Abundant Water

View Of Comet Helps Solve Mystery Of Earth's Abundant Water

Handout - This image of Comet 238P/Read was captured by the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope on September 8, 2022. It displays the hazy halo, called the coma, and tail that are characteristic of comets, as opposed to asteroids. The dusty coma and tail result from the vaporization of ices as the Sun warms the main body of the comet. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has enabled another long-sought scientific breakthrough, this time for solar system scientists studying the origins of Earth's abundant water. Using Webb's NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument, astronomers have confirmed gas – specifically water vapor – around a comet in the main asteroid belt for the first time, indicating that water ice from the primordial solar system can be preserved in that region. Comet Read is a main belt comet – an object that resides in the main asteroid belt but which periodically displays a halo, or coma, and tail like a comet. Main belt comets themselves are a fair